Client Care Flashcards
1
Q
What is client care?
A
- Looking after clients’ best interests and providing an appropriate level of service that satisfies their needs
- Client care can be provided through professionalism, competence, punctuality, trust, reliability, presentation, regular communication, review of services provided, KPIs to monitor customer satisfaction, client performance feedback
2
Q
Why is client care important for surveyors?
A
- The majority of work is through repeat business from existing clients
- Important not only for the client to achieve their requirements but also for the company to encourage repeat business
- Word of mouth can be generated
- Negative feedback can be damaging
- Excellent client care reduces the potential for negligence claims to arise
3
Q
What is CPF?
A
Client Performance Feedback
- Involves gathering and acting on feedback from the client during and after project completion
- Encourages open discussions
- Feedback sets standards for the company
- Carried out at regular intervals to ensure problems can be identified and rectified (3-6 months)
4
Q
How would you identify the needs of a client?
A
- Holding Client Account Planning Sessions
- Needs assessed on their own merit
- Hold discussions regarding project deliverables and scope of services required
- Review past CPF scores and identify areas for improvement
- Review any complaints to identify mistakes and best practice methods of working
5
Q
What is a client brief?
A
- Provides a firm foundation for the initiation of the project
- Formal statement of objectives and functional and operational requirements of the finished project
- In sufficient detail to execute the specification and detailed design of the work
6
Q
Provide an example of your client care and empathy skills
A
- Always ensure I prioritise each client’s needs accordingly
- Always make the client feel like their project is the only one I’m undertaking
- Through organisation and communication, I can meet the deliverables of each client in advance of the agreed deadlines and always deliver work to a high standard
7
Q
When should you decline an instruction of new work from a client?
A
- Conflicts of interest
- If appointment would not be in the client’s best interest
- My firm may not be able to resource the job adequately
- If the project is outside of my skillset
- If the work was unlawful
8
Q
What do you need to consider when preparing a fee bid?
A
- Find out what the client’s requirements are and identify whether this is a service we can provide
- A bid or no bid form is populated to identify if this is suitable for the business by considering the risks involved
- Varying levels of sign off depending on fee value prior to submission
9
Q
What makes up a fee bid proposal?
A
- Executive summary
- Clients’ needs
- Project issues
- Key benefits for clients
- Relevant experience
- Condition of engagement
- Methodology
- Organogram
- Fees
- Supporting CVs
- QA procedures
- Sub-consultants
10
Q
How would you limit the risk of working with a client who may be financially unstable?
A
- Screening process to check client’s finances, including:
- Companies’ House search to obtain credit info
- Dunn & Bradstreet or credit safe credit check
- Internet search of their website for additional info and make a judgment on their reliability
11
Q
If your client asked you to lower your fees because of their limited funding, what would you do?
A
- Client would have to pay the required price for the level of service provided or reduce the scope of the works involved
12
Q
How would you calculate a fee proposal?
A
- Review the work involved with the commission based on the level of info available
- Calculate time and number of people involved to undertake the work and multiply it by an hourly rate adding a suitable allowance for overheads and profits
13
Q
How do you identify your client’s needs and expectations?
A
- Ask questions and listen to client on key challenges and issues they’re facing
- Use client’s brief checklists where applicable
- If you have not had adequate briefing, always be sure to ask for further clarification on their specific requirements
14
Q
How do you establish trust?
A
- Be transparent and honest about actions at all times
- Learn about my client and their long-term objectives in addition to key challenges they are facing
- Only act inside the parameter of my competence
- Always act in a professional manner
- Always provide a high level of service
15
Q
How do you encourage repeat business?
A
- Provide high levels of service and customer care during projects
- Regularly obtain feedback and act on it
- Deal with complaints honestly and effectively
- Keep in touch with clients even when we have no live projects with them
- Organise business development activities such as social events or CPD
